Future Trip
by viper-sindel
Summary: The team and Draganus are thrust into the future where they learn something that will change their lives forever...
1. Chapter 1

_ Undoing the future by changing the past. That is what we've done. Leaving behind our dreams of home, our only chance to return to the world we know and love, we choose a new life, beginning and ending with my little wife..._~Canard~

Con Canard

Melissa Mallory

Tasha Tanya

Will Wildwing

Noah Nosedive

Greg Grin

David Duke

Damien Draganus

Chris Chameleon

Sam Siege

Wyatt Wraith

An alarm tore through the air, seven mallards racing to answer it's call.

"There's a high energy reading in the north, just outside of Anaheim!" Tanya said.

"Let's move, team!" Wildwing commanded. Everyone quickly ran to the Aerowing and took off, faster than most would have dared. Canard sat next to Wildwing, hands on the controls. He'd generously decided to let Wildwing continue to lead them, seeing as to how well he'd done so far. Soon, the Raptor appeared before them, readying itself for battle.

"How is this possible?" Mallory demanded. "He has no Belerium Crystals for power!"

"I suppose he found another source," was Tanya's reply. Then, they saw the newly rebuilt dimensional gateway generator.

"Hang on, guys!" warned Nosedive as it began to power up. "We're in for a bumpy ride!"

Then, to everyone's surprise, the top of the Raptor began smoking, signs of malfunction covering the surface of the generator.

"Brace yourselves!" Mallory yelped.

(Demona's POV)

"Will you look at that?" I said in wonder. "It's one of the older models... an Aerowing..."

"Typical you," my best friend and sister replied. "Getting excited over a hunk of junk."

"Becky, this _isn't_ just a hunk of junk," I said, annoyed at her lack of understanding and enthusiasm. "It's in perfect condition, too..."

I shook my head.

"Dad'll want to see this," I told her. She nodded.

"Let's go get him," she said.

"Wait!" came a male voice. We both looked back and stood there in surprise. Piling out of the old ship were eleven ducks, only two of them female. I quirked a brow and looked at Becky.

"Where are we?" asked the youngest one. I frowned.

"Puckworld," I answered.

"You mentioned that this Aerowing was old," said another. "What year is this?"

"Third year of the fourth age," Becky answered, exchanging a look with me. All eleven of them exchanged stunned looks, growing more shocked at the sight of one another.

"What's going on?" I asked. "None of you look even _slightly_ familiar."

"Do you have a mirror I could borrow?" one of the females asked. Becky nodded and tossed over her hand-held. The woman opened it, only to gasp and touch her face. It was almost like she didn't recognize her own face!

"What are your names?" I asked.

"Con," said one. "These are my friends and a few unwanted extras, Melissa, Tasha, Will, Noah, Greg, David, Damien, Chris, Sam, and Wyatt."

"Name's Demona," I said. "This is Becky."

"Come on, D," Becky said, lightly tugging my arm. "We're gonna be late!"

I gave her a nod, then turned back to them.

"Just follow us," I said. "And _try_ not to give away the fact that none of you are from here."

They nodded mutely and we left, heading for our house. I kept exchanging looks with Becky.

"Excuse me for asking, but, where did you get that bracelet?" asked Con. I glanced at it.

"Canard gave it to me," I answered. "He's a friend of my Dad's."

I saw Con, Will, and Noah exchange looks.

"Did he mention what it was for?" Con pressed. I shrugged.

"I don't remember when he gave it to me," I replied. "I've had it since before I can remember. Mom says I was wearing it when he and the rest of the Resistance returned to Puckworld."

"I see," he said, finally silencing. As we neared the house, I heard the roar of a duckcycle. With a quick grin at Becky, I took off, her keeping pace. No sooner was the bike parked, did I leap on the rider. Expecting this, he caught me and spun me around in a tight hug.

"Hi Dad," I greeted as he set me down. He then pulled off his helmet, making the newbies gasp in shock. I ignored them.

"Staying out of trouble?" he asked. I grinned.

"Never," I answered. Becky walked forward with a little more restraint than I did, giving Dad a soft hug.

"Welcome home, Dad," she said. He smiled. Our Dad was Nosedive Flashblade.

"Where's your mother?" he asked us.

"She took Tommy and went to the store," I replied. "Said she'd be back in about an hour."

That's when he saw our followers.

"Friends?" he asked, knowing well I didn't have any friends... though I didn't know why.

"Acquaintances," I replied. "Tag-alongs for the moment. This is Con, Melissa, Tasha, Will, Noah, Greg, David, Damien, Chris, Sam, and Wyatt."

I frowned, making sure that I'd gotten them all, then turned again as another bike pulled up. Without a second thought, I leapt over and knocked him off his bike.

"For the love of Drake DuCaine, woman!" he complained. I laughed and got comfortable, leaning on his chest.

"I'm sorry," I said in a mocking tone. "Did I surprise you?"

He reached up and removed his helmet, and I was looking down into the slightly amused gaze of Canard.

"No," he answered. "I'm _way_ too used to you by this point."

"Doubt it," I replied, getting up and helping him up in the process. "Where's Wing?"

"On his way," Canard answered. "He had a few more things to take care of at home."

I nodded, then turned back to Dad.

"Where's Duke?" I asked. "Wasn't he supposed to visit today too?"

"He's coming later," was Canard's reply. "He had a few things to attend to."

"Of course he did," I muttered, only to get rapped over the head by Dad. I growled and rubbed the spot, then headed inside, Canard close behind.

(Becky's POV)

"All right," Dad said, rubbing his hands together. "Becky, you're in charge of the new group. Keep them out of trouble."

I nodded dutifully. Then he walked into the house as well.

"Come on," I said and they followed me in. We were rich. It was a well known fact. We lived in the biggest house on Puckworld (minus the palace), a mansion with five floors and a full basement. It covered five city-blocks, not counting the yard. We had a courtyard inside the folds of the house and then a yard that seemed to stretch on forever at the backside of our house, going away from town.

"So, Nosedive's your Dad," Melissa commented. "He sure grew up."

"Yeah," I replied with a smile. "Good thing, too."

"Are you betrothed?" asked Tasha. I nodded. "Is Demona?"

I frowned.

"No," I answered hesitantly.

I shook my head.

"No one will take her, but I'm sure she's fine with that," I finished. "Canard takes good care of her."

"Who are her parents?" asked Con, confused. I hesitated. "It can't be that bad."

I gave him a look.

"If it _wasn't_ that bad, do you really think I'd be hesitating to say?" I pointed out. I made sure Demona wasn't around, then sighed. "No one knows... or at least they won't say."

Every last one of them were stunned.

"Canard told her that before they came back, they'd been forced to take her from her mother, seeing as to how a dying corpse couldn't exactly raise a child," I explained. "Dad then agreed to take responsibility for her. All of us know well that she'll never marry or have a family of her own, but she doesn't seem too bothered by it."

I shrugged.

"We don't mention her parents," I continued. "She gets far too upset by it, knowing she's as good as an orphan."

"I would have never guessed," Melissa said, shocked. "She at least was blessed with good looks. That must do her _some_ favors."

I snorted.

"No good ones," I replied, then paused as Demona appeared in the doorway.

"Mom's back," she said. "She needs help unloading."

I nodded and followed her out. A few of the others did too.

"Hi Mom," Demona and I chorused. She smiled.

"_That's_ Angel?" came the hushed, disbelieving words from Noah. I nodded.

"She grew up a little too," I whispered, then grabbed a few bags.

"How were your classes?" Mom asked Demona as the two walked into the house with full arms.

"They went great," she answered. "The mathematics are giving me the most trouble, but the rest of my courses are a breeze."

"Might have Canard help you out with Math," Mom commented. "He's rather good at dumbing things down enough to understand them."

Demona laughed.

"Just as long as he doesn't make me go all the way back to sixth grade when I started failing, I think we'll be fine."

I chuckled.

"How old is Demona?" asked Con.

"She's nineteen," I answered. "She's not much younger than our parents... only about fourteen years. She's the oldest of us... and it shows. Mom and Dad leave her in charge of all of us when they're gone."

"Why's she still living at home?" asked Will.

"It was the agreement between the rents and her," I answered. "She goes to college, gets her education, and they provide her living space. As soon as she's done with college, they're giving her eighteen months to get a job and will help her into her first home."

"What's she studying?" asked Tasha.

"Psychology and Medicine," I answered. "She adores our Uncle and chose to be an EMT like him."

"I notice that, other than Nosedive and Angel, no one else has any titles to her," Con pointed out. "Is there a reason?"

"She's never really used the titles," was the reply. "She's been treated like an equal far too long for them to feel right, coming off her tongue."

"How old are you and your other siblings?" asked Noah.

"I'm the second oldest, sixteen," I answered. "Raven's ten, Tommy's six, and Ramona's two."

"Four kids?" he asked, surprised. I grinned.

"And they're expecting again," I answered.

"What about the rest of the Resistance?" asked Melissa. "What happened to them?"

"Well, Mallory's now the General, seeing as to how her father passed away," I said, scanning my memories. "She's married to Alan Razorwing. They have twin sons, fourteen. Duke's a cop now, widowed father of three. Demona helps there whenever she can. Cloe, Kaela, and Marcus can be a handful. All of them are under nine years of age."

I paused.

"Grin's not doing too bad, only has one daughter, Serenity, ten, but seeing as to how his family functions... well... everyone kinda saw that coming," I continued. "Tanya adopted all of her kids, seeing as to how she can't have any of her own. She's married to Davis Stormcrow. She only has two for now. They're working on getting another one. Chandra's eight and Trevor's eleven. Wildwing doesn't have any kids, but that's kinda Demona's fault..."

I paused, trying not to laugh. I knew it really wasn't funny, but everyone laughed about it now.

"See, no one told her when she was younger not to run with a knife," I continued, unable to hold back a giggle. "It's the family joke now."

Pushing my laughter aside, I settled down.

"He _was_ married at one point, but I don't remember to who," I said. "He's been through so many girlfriends that one can't quite keep track. Most can't come to terms with his job, the fact that he'll almost never be home and that he can be called away at any moment kinda kills any true relationship he could have. Canard never married. His betrothed thought him dead and married someone else while they were gone. He's all right with it though."

I shrugged.

"He's more attached to Demona than he could _ever_ be to anyone else," I explained. "There's some rumors about the two of them, but no one says too much aloud. After all, he _is_ the current King of Puckworld."

"What?" the whole group gasped in shock. I nodded.

"He was given the position about fourteen years ago and no one has even asked for his removal," I replied. "See, he runs the world far too well for that. No one complains. They don't want him to step down. He's tried, twice, but he always got stuck right back in."

"And if he _did_ have an interest in Demona..." Melissa prompted.

"They can't do or say much about it," I replied. "She's of age. Granted, the age gap is a little... wide... but still. The only thing anyone would have against it is her bloodline."

I shrugged again.

"But no one dares speak of it around her," I finished. "She tends to lose her temper on them."

"Becky!" came Mom's voice.

"Yeah, Mom?" I asked.

"Demona's running back to the store," she said, coming into the room. "Didn't realize we'd be having so many extras. Was there anything you needed?"

"Yeah," I said. "I'm almost out of Shampoo and Conditioner. And... if it's not too much to ask... could we get a few grapefruit?"

Mom smiled.

"She all ready has that on the list, seeing as to how both of you like them so much," she replied. "I'll make sure she adds your hair supplies."

I nodded and she turned to leave.

"Who's going with her?" I asked.

"Canard," was the reply as she vanished from sight. I shook my head.

"Figures," I muttered. Then I heard the roar of an engine. With a grin, I raced outside.

"Uncle Wing!" I said, running up and giving him a hug, nearly knocking him over. No sooner did I pull away, was he bowled over by Demona and the rest of the kids. I laughed as Uncle Wing hit the ground.

"Guys!" Mom said, laughing. She was standing in the doorway. "Let the poor man up!"

"Didn't know he _could _get up," Demona teased, making us older people laugh as Wing grabbed her and started tickling the holy-living-hell outta her. She squealed and tried her hardest to get away. Finally, he let her go and she took a moment to catch her breath as he got up from the ground.

Demona was giggling at him, so he reached over and put her in a headlock, messing up her hair. She growled and struggled, then nailed him with a punch to the back of the knee, causing him to hit the ground and let go.

"Really shouldn't have taught you that," he commented. She laughed and then Canard pulled her away so they could leave. Wing followed us inside.

(Will/Younger Wildwing's POV)

That night, we had been separated to go to our own rooms, all of us crowded in Canard's room, though. We needed to talk.

"That's a lot to absorb in one day," Tanya stated.

"Yeah," Dive agreed. "I'm raising five kids!"

"Seem to be doing fine," I said. All eyes went to me. "Facts are; we're in the future roughly nineteen-twenty years, we have no idea how to get back, we're not in our true forms, and we're living with ourselves."

I sighed.

"My generator wasn't made in _any_ fashion to time-travel," Draganus stated. "This was done by something else entirely."

"Perhaps one of the Gods believed we needed to learn something in this time, something we need to prevent or force to happen," Wraith agreed. I sighed, then noticed someone was missing.

"Where's Canard?"

(Con/younger Canard's POV)

I watched her sleep, letting my eyes roam.

_I gave her my Mother's bracelet... That means that I intend to marry her... But why?_

I heard someone coming and hid in the closet. In stepped the older version of me. He walked right up and leaned over the bed, placing a soft kiss on her temple. He brushed a few strands of hair out of her face. Slowly, with a deep breath, she woke, her eyes blinking open. She rolled onto her back and looked up at him with a small, confused frown.

"What?" she asked tiredly. He smiled.

"You'll need to pack some things within the next two days," he told her. Her eyes showed no comprehension.

_ Definitely tired... She can't even think._

"You _do_ want to come live with me for a while, do you not?" he asked. Her eyes lit up.

"Oh really?" she asked, excited. He nodded with a smile. She sat up quickly and threw her arms around his neck, hugging him while laughing in her joy.

"Of course, you'll be doing your schooling online," he told her, pulling back to gently hold her shoulders. "It's all ready been set up. Once you're home, it's not going to be near as easy to leave or return."

"I know," I said. "I _am_ the one that designed that particular security system, am I not?"

He smiled.

"That you are," he said, then placed another kiss on her forehead. She smiled softly and let him tuck her back in. "Get some sleep. Angel wants Wing to take you out with him tomorrow, let you see and help him work, first-hand."

She smiled.

"I'd like that," she said, her voice growing more and more quiet as she tired. He smiled and got up and left. Soon enough, her breathing evened out and sleep stole her from this world. I watched her face for a little longer, then walked back to my room. Unsurprisingly, everyone was still there. All eyes went to me as I entered.

"Where've you been?" asked Chameleon. At a glare from me, he silenced.

"Out," I answered, sitting down on my bed next to Wing.

"So, who would you guess her parents are?" asked Dive. I shrugged.

"Your guess is as good as mine," I answered. "But I can be sure that it _isn't_ one of us."

"How so?" Draganus asked. I shot him a dirty look.

"I was talking about my team, not you lot," I snapped. "I can be assured of that, due to what we've learned so far... and a few other context clues. The bracelet she wears, the one I gave her, belonged to my mother."

A gasp went through the room as the meaning behind it slammed into the other ducks. Unsurprisingly, the Saurians were completely clueless.

"It means, my older self intends to marry her," I explained. Understanding and varying degrees of shock flashed in their eyes. "It was revealed to us that Wing _can't_ have kids, nor can Tanya. Grin only has one. He's not the kind of person to hide a child's heritage. If anything, he'd be proud of it."

Grin nodded, showing his agreement.

"Dive agreed to _take her in_, saying quite loudly that she _isn't_ his," I continued. "Mallory... well... she looks nothing like Mallory and all of her traits show up in all of her kids, at least according to the photos I've seen. Duke's the only one left and, quite frankly, she looks nothing like him... and she was born _this_ year, the year we came from. She's all ready a few months old back in our time."

Several of my team members shook their heads.

"Then who could it be?" wondered Chameleon aloud. "The only other duck that we know of currently that's had contact with us back on Earth would be-"

"Lucretia DeCoy!" nearly everyone chorused, our own shock entering our voices. Now that I thought about it, Demona _did_ look a lot like her.

"That would make _some_ sense, considering that she's been in Dimensional Limbo for almost a year now," Tanya stated. "But I don't want to make any assumptions until I know the truth for sure."

I nodded.

"That would be best," I agreed. Everyone nodded and we parted ways for the night. I laid down, my heart heavy. Now there was a new possible meaning for the bracelet. Facts were, while in Dimensional Limbo, I'd been anything but celibate... and DeCoy had been my main partner.

(Demona's POV)

I woke the next morning, feeling extremely refreshed and excited. I would be living with Canard soon! With rapid movements, I showered, dressed, and readied myself for a day out with Wing. Today, I would be an EMT-trainee, my Uncle, my teacher. I practically ran down to the dining room, unsurprised to see that everyone else was awake. I sat down between Canard and Wing, gratefully accepting a plate of pancakes, eggs, and sausage. As I ate, conversations surrounded me. I paid attention to none of them. All I wanted to do was get my nutrition and leave. Only when I was alone with Wing, learning from him, did I truly relax. He's the only one I never felt like being on complete guard around. Not even Canard saw my whole self. I made a point not to show him. He couldn't handle it. He was so dear to me. I didn't want to drive him away with all of my problems... personal or otherwise... though he always seemed like he really wanted to know. Still, I couldn't put all of my worries on him.

"Ready to go?" asked Wing. I nodded and the two of us left with a wave at everyone else. We got in his car and turned on his company radio, waiting for a call. He kept glancing at me, then back out the front. I barely noticed.

"Ok, I give," he said. "What's wrong?"

I shrugged.

"Where do I begin?" I asked no one in particular. I ran a hand through my hair. "The newcomers is a good way to start... They arrived on our planet in one of the really older models of our planes, an original military Aerowing. When I asked who they were, they looked at one another like they'd never seen each other before... And Con said that only a few of them were his friends and the others were unwanted extras."

I shook my head.

"They even knew who all of you were, though they were stunned that some of them grew up, like mom," I continued. "Becky may have been oblivious to my eavesdropping, but I was there, listening to everything they said."

I shook my head again.

"Last night, when Canard told me to pack for a few months, since I'm going to live with him, one of them was in the closet," I revealed. "Con had seen the whole thing and left shortly after Canard did. Con seemed almost... sneaky... underhanded in the way he moved."

I sighed.

"Then again, I may be looking for answers where there aren't any," I finished. He gave my shoulder a light squeeze.

"What else?" he asked.

"Canard," I said. "Why is he _just_ _now_ relenting on letting me stay with him? Why not before this?"

"You weren't of age," Wing answered. "See, a lot of people would have probably taken it completely wrong and blown it way out of proportion. As King, there are certain protocols he must adhere to."

I sighed again.

"As for the newcomers, while they're coming is strange, give them a chance," he said. "Who knows, you may even come to like them, and they, in turn, you."

"It's not them I want to like me," I muttered.

(Demona's POV)

It was well past dark when I got home. Duke and Canard were sitting in the living room, completely wasted. Duke, apparently, passed out sitting up. Everyone else must be asleep. I shook my head, then went to walk past. Canard reached out and grabbed my waist, pulling me onto his lap.

"Where do you think you're going?" he asked, his words slurred. The alcohol on his breath was so strong that I was forced to turn my face away with a look of disgust.

"To bed, where you should be going," I replied. His hand slid down my side, down to caress my inner thigh. I mentally groaned. Every time he got drunk he did this, felt me up. Every time he touched me like that, I'd get turned on. Every time, it got harder and harder to walk away.

"Bed sounds nice," he whispered silkily into my ear. I shivered, closing my eyes. "But I insist that you have a drink with me first."

"Then you'll go straight to bed?" I asked. He nodded. "Promise me."

He sighed.

"I promise to go to bed without complaint once you have a drink with me," he promised. I nodded and let him open me a beer. Without pause, I opened it and drank it all. Unlike other ducks, it would take far more than one beer to get me drunk. Canard had also guzzled his. He turned my body around to face him, moving my legs to straddle him. His hand was lightly stroking my heat, causing it to grow moist. I looked at him and he looked at me.

"You promised me," I reminded him, barely holding my true desire out of my voice. He merely leaned forward and tried to kiss me. I turned my head so that he landed on my cheek instead. I knew well that if he kissed me right now, I'd be lost to him... and all of this time that I'd been holding off, keeping myself away... it would mean nothing.

He pressed hot, urgent kisses down my neck, stealing my breath and more and more of my resolve. I closed my eyes as I struggled to gather all of my wits and self control again. Getting enough, I jumped back, right off his lap. His eyes went to me, surprised. Then, he slowly got to his feet. Keeping him at a safe distance, I kept walking backward, walking him all the way to his room. Soon, I stepped in, next to the bed. I knew well that he'd fall onto it if he just hit the edge.

"Demona..." he said softly. Then he lunged, catching me by complete surprise. My body was on his bed, pinned beneath his, my legs on either side of his hips.

"Canard!" I said, struggling, trying to stop him. He merely pinned my hands above my head with one of his. "Canard, stop! Please!"

He didn't listen. I continued to struggle, praying like hell that someone would find me... someone would hear me. This can't happen to me!

"Canard, no!" I all but screamed as he tore open the front of my shirt. Then, it all happened so quickly. One minute, I was trapped under him. The next, I was being held in someone's arms, Canard having been thrown so hard that he'd been knocked out on the wall. Unable to quell my shaking, I took comfort in the arms around me. A black cloth entered my vision and I was relieved to wrap the blanket around my nakedness. The person holding me picked me up and carried me to my own room. I could only shake in his hold. He set me down on my bed, but didn't leave me.

"Thank you," I said softly. "I'm sorry you had to see that."

"I'm sorry I didn't react sooner," was Con's reply. "Has he done this before?"

I shook my head.

"Only when he's drunk," I replied. I hung my head in shame. "No one saved me last time."

I felt his arms tighten and felt him shake in fury.

"But that part I can live with," I admitted, glad to finally be able to tell someone something. "You must promise me not to tell anyone what I'm about to tell you, most of all, him."

"I can't promise that," he said. I turned and looked up at him, my eyes pleading with him to do as I ask.

"You must," I said. "Or else I can't tell you."

He searched my gaze, then sighed with a nod. I relaxed a little, then looked away from him. My body shook as I forced the truth to the front of my mind, the secret I didn't have much longer to hide.

"I'm pregnant," I whispered, my voice heavy with emotions I couldn't name, despair being the most noted one. I felt the shock ripple through him as his body froze.

"What?" he asked, not sure he heard me correctly. I took a deep, calming breath.

"I'm pregnant," I repeated, my voice a little louder. "He doesn't know... he doesn't even remember his actions that night... nor any other night that he drinks."

His hand gently turned my gaze to his.

"How long?" he asked.

"I'm in my second month," I replied. I shook my head. "I can only keep this secret for another two months... then it'll come out on it's own."

"Why don't you tell him?" he asked. I shook my head.

"You wouldn't understand," I said.

"Try me," he replied. I sighed.

"I don't want someone who's with me just because they feel they have to be," I replied. "I want them there because _they_ _want_ to be."

Con nodded, understanding.

"I see," he said. "But how do you know that he _doesn't_ want that? Drunkenness merely amplifies our desires. For all you and I know, he may desire you while sober but won't go near you because he's the King and has-"

"-certain protocols to follow," I finished. "I know. Wing said something to that effect earlier today as well. Granted, it wasn't about this, but it's close enough."

"Does anyone know about this?" he asked. I shook my head miserably.

"I don't have the heart to tell them," I replied. "I don't want to be the reason any animosity occurs between life-long friends... and Wing would definitely be down-right pissed about it... So would Dad."

Con sighed.

"So... what will you do now?" he asked. I shook my head.

"I don't know," I replied. "I just don't know."


	2. Chapter 2

(Demona's POV)

I woke the next morning, feeling a lot safer than I had in a long time. Con had stayed with me til I was calm enough to sleep, then he'd left. For that, I was grateful. He'd been a great comfort to me. I went downstairs, only to catch his eye from across the room. He lifted his brow softly, wordlessly asking if I was okay. I gave him a reassuring smile, then let myself be led away by Becky. Our exchange had been anything but unnoticed, but I shrugged it off.

"All right," she began. "We're going shopping today."

"We being who?" I asked.

"You, me, Melissa, and Tasha," she answered. "Canard gave us his debit card, though he put you in charge of it."

I smirked, knowing how much that irked my sister. She knew well that I wouldn't let her spend outrageously. Then, her expression changed to one of concern.

"Con knows, doesn't he?" she asked. I nodded.

"He saved me last night," I told her. "He got drunk again and Con saved me."

She gave a soft, sad smile.

"You can't hide it for much longer," she pointed out gently. I nodded with a sigh.

"I know, hon," I replied. "Trust me, I know."

"Hey guys, Con wants to know if he can come with," Melissa said, walking into the room. I shrugged.

"Doesn't bother me, as long as he doesn't object to going into VS's with us," I replied, getting one hell of an evil grin. She laughed and went back to tell him. Then Wing came in and wordlessly signaled Becky to leave. I frowned, the hairs on the back of my neck standing up.

"What?" I asked.

"What was with the exchange this morning?" he asked. I relaxed.

"Con comforted me last night after a nightmare," I lied. "That's all."

His eyes narrowed, not believing me.

"If that's your story," he said, then turned and left. I sighed. He was hurt by my lack of honesty, but I couldn't exactly tell him the truth. It would hurt him even more.

"Ready?" asked Con, coming up to me. I nodded and gave him a soft smile.

"Let's go," I said. With that, the five of us left for the mall. Surprisingly, Con _didn't_ mind VS's (Victoria's Secrets) and even had a few comments about a few I'd pointed out, noting which ones would look good on me and which ones wouldn't. He'd even smelled some of the perfumes with us girls, then chose one that suited each one of us. It was so sweet of him. The longer the day went, the more I came to enjoy his company, maybe even like him.

Now, we were breaking for lunch. Melissa, Tasha, and Becky were at one table, quite a ways away. Con and I were alone, calmly eating our pasta salads. I looked at him.

"You know, I wasn't expecting you to be comfortable in VS's," I admitted. He smiled, amused.

"Let's just say that I can imagine you wearing a few of those items... and it's doing me no favors in keeping my hands to myself," he replied. I blushed with a smile of embarrassment, looking down at my plate. He'd been making comments like that all morning, commenting on my looks, my eyes most of all. Every time I would blush and look away, both pleased and unsure of how to take it. He'd even been really touchy, feely, almost always one step behind me, if not right next to me.

Once finished eating, we went to a weaponry store. This was my haven. Con seemed to enjoy himself in this store as well. We went from military equipment (puck launchers and such) to the blades. I preferred the blade section, preferring sais. They did me the most good in battle. Then, we left that store and went to another clothing store. Again, Con was all too happy to comment on our clothing choices, making sure we only got things that would look good on us, me especially. He then secretly took me to the maternity department and had me pick out a few shirts and sweatpants. His explanation was that by the time the truth was forced out, I'd all ready be unable to wear a vast majority of my clothes anyway. It made sense, so I bought a few.

Then we pressed on to another store, one Con had seen and had wanted to go into. It was a store of more expensive clothes, ones for formal parties. I'd hesitated, but Melissa and Tasha pulled me in. Then they handed me off to Con and vanished into the dresses.

"Why are we here?" I asked him. He smiled.

"Canard asked me to make sure that you had a few formal dresses," he replied. "While staying with him, you'll have to make several appearances on his arm... in formal attire."

I winced.

"Dresses," I muttered. "Wonderful... What other tortures does he have in mind?"

Con gave a soft chuckle, then picked out a few dresses, shooed me into the dressing rooms, and sat down, waiting for me to try them on, come out, and show him how they looked. I knew well what he was looking for after the first three. He wanted something that would hide my pregnancy until I was ready to go public with it. For this, I was very grateful. He was so considerate! After buying seven different dresses and a few accessories, we left that store. Then, the girls stole the keys to the car and told the two of us that they were running our buys home. They'd be back, but they didn't figure we could fit all of our shopping and all of us back in the car. I agreed and let them go, leaving me alone with Con. Without a word to the girls, we snuck off to the arcade. There, we battled it out on the machines. Then we left and walked to the indoor park. It was something Mallory had asked to be made, a place that grew plants like back on Earth. It was my favorite place to go. Here, Con and I sat down under one of the trees, leaning against the trunk, myself between his legs, leaning against his chest. His arms were wrapped loosely around me.

"I can't believe you're actually enjoying this trip," I muttered. He chuckled.

"Not all men hate shopping," he said. "We just prefer to do it when we have something to look at, to compare different clothes to."

I smirked.

"And to imagine how good they'd look on the floor when you're done," I retorted. He laughed. It was a rich, pleasant sound.

"Yes, that too," he agreed, then my phone rang. I looked at the caller ID and frowned.

"Yes?" I answered.

"Why were you buying maternity clothes with Canard's card?" asked Wing. I frowned even more.

"Who said we were?" I asked.

"His records, the ones I'm altering right now," he said. "Becky said I should, but now I want to know why."

My frown deepened. Con took the phone from me.

"Wing," he said. "It's something she's not ready for anyone to know yet. She's told Becky and I, simply because she had to. She doesn't want to cause any fights."

"And what secret is she keeping?" Wing pressed, concerned. I looked away, but gave a very small, weak nod. Con sighed and leaned his head back on the tree.

"She's pregnant, Wing," Con told him. "Canard raped her when he was drunk and doesn't even remember it."

There was silence on the other end of the line for the longest amount of time, so long that I took the phone back, making sure our call hadn't been cut off.

"Wing?" I said softly, making sure he was still there.

"Is this... true?" he asked, his voice so soft that I barely heard it. Con wrapped his arms tightly around me, comforting me.

"Yes," I whispered. "It's true. Con saved me from the same fate last night, thus the reason I told him. Becky knew as soon as I missed my cycle and I got morning sickness."

"How long?" he asked.

"I have two months before I can't hide it any longer," I answered. Part of me was dreading his reaction to this, but the other part was so glad I could finally tell him the reason behind my strange behavior and my secrecy.

"What are you going to do?" he asked.

"I don't know," I answered. "I really don't know."

"Well, you think about that," he said. "I'll finish with these records."

"Wing?" I said hesitantly.

"Your secret isn't mine to tell," he stated, then hung up. I relaxed, then looked at Con, putting my phone away.

"Don't worry," he said. "He'll keep your secret."

I nodded and let him hold me. The joy of shopping had just been killed for me today.

(Demona's POV)

We left the mall quite a few hours later, our car stuffed to the brim with our merchandise. Con and I were in the back, myself leaning on him. The girls _still_ hadn't stopped teasing us about the way that they'd found us, curled up together. I chose to ignore them for the most part. Now, though, Con and I were relaxing in my room, laying on my bed, watching a movie we'd bought. I was curled up at his side, he laying on his back comfortably. His arm was absentmindedly stroking my back softly as we lay there. We were... comfortable... with one another. It was a strange feeling for me. With Wing, I was comfortable, yes, but not like this. With Canard, I was always tense, afraid to mess up and upset him. With Dad and the others, I was coolly indifferent, but not comfortable. What was so different about Con?

"Demona?" came Wing's voice, from the door. I rolled over to look at him.

"Yes?" I asked. He saw Con and sighed.

"I'm afraid I'm not very good at hiding things from your mother," he said. I winced, knowing well what he meant.

"Wiiiinnnngg!" I cried out, rolling back over to bury my head in Con's chest. "Now she's going to be insufferable!"

"Not really," he answered. "She's promised to keep it hidden, better than I do. She's just making a few adaptations to the menu for you, making sure she keeps both of you healthy."

I gave a meek nod.

"Supper will be served shortly," he said, then left. I groaned.

"Wonderful," I muttered. I heard Con chuckle. I lifted my head up to give a half-hearted glare at him. "What, pray tell, is so funny?"

"You," he answered, then did something that stunned me beyond words. He leaned forward and gave me a soft kiss. I froze at first, then, slowly, I kissed him back. Our eyes slid shut as he pulled me closer, kissing me again. Soon, I was between his legs, laying on him, his arms wrapped around me, caressing my body... turning me on...

His kisses changed dramatically in a few seconds, from gentle and heatless to hungry and overpowering. His urgent hands were holding me to him, grinding my hips against his, turning us both on. I broke away to kiss and nibble down his neck, causing him to gasp and fall back against the bed, his hands gripping my hips. My lips caught his again in another, searing kiss. Then, without warning, he rolled us over, getting between my legs. From this position (on his knees), he used his hand to hold my thigh tightly against his waist. His other hand was above my head, supporting the majority of his weight.

I gasped when he bit down on my lower neck, drawing a moan from my lips as he trailed kisses down, following the V-cut of my shirt, down to rest between my breasts. My nipples hardened for him, completely swept away by his passion.

Suddenly, he jerked himself away, completely off the bed, leaning on the wall to support himself. Once I'd caught my breath, I looked at him.

"What... was that?" I asked, then added before I could stop myself, "Why did you stop?"

He gave a small smile.

"Not too fast for you?" he asked. I shook my head with a smile.

"No," I answered. "About the right speed, really."

He chuckled, then slowly walked to me. He was soon between my legs again, getting back on the bed, pushing me back against it. His kisses soon had me at his mercy, his hands running teasingly over my heating flesh. I was quickly getting lost in his touch, in the sea of passion we were producing.

"Ah-hem," came a low voice from the doorway. Both of us snapped our heads over to look at the door, only to blush. Mom stood there, a knowing look on her features.

"Let's try not to make it twins, shall we?" she teased. My blush deepened and Con untangled himself from me. Then, slowly, he helped me to my feet. The two of us fixed our appearance, then followed Mom downstairs to join everyone else. Wing gave the two of us a knowing look and I blushed, looking away. I sat down between him and Con.

"How was your shopping trip?" asked Canard, taking his card back from me. I shrugged.

"Normal," I answered, then we all ate up. The meal was gone quickly, the boys competing for who ate the most this meal. It was both amusing and annoying, though Con and Wing made sure I ate until I was full, making sure that not all the food was gone before that time. I appreciated it, but I had eyes only for Con. The moment, the heat we'd shared... it was still fresh in my mind, teasing me. His gaze often caught and held my own. It was like our own private moment... this dinner. No one else really existed.

(Demona's Mom's POV)

I'd watched Con and Demona interact upstairs and had a few ideas, none of them either good nor bad, though they could easily go both ways. Right now, the two were lost in one another's eyes, in one another's presence. Looking around the table, I wasn't the only one that had noticed their obvious affection. Wing exchanged looks with me, ones that spoke volumes, ones that said this wasn't right in many ways. It was Canard's face that alarmed me, though. While most of him showed calm indifference, his eyes screamed loudly his fury. He was gripping his utensils with white knuckles, jealousy storming through him. I knew well why he was jealous, all too well, really. We adults all knew. Most of us had been there when we'd gotten her. I hadn't, but Dive had told me well what had happened. I knew well that this affection was going to drive Canard insane.

Without a word, he got up and left the room. This went completely unnoticed by the two lovers. The possibility hit Dive just as it did Wing and I. I didn't think it possible, but this was too convenient to be anything else.

I glanced at the two lovers again. I would let them have this moment. After supper... we would talk.

(Demona's POV)

"All right," Mom said, getting up. "Demona, Con, I want to speak with the two of you in the den, if I may. The rest of you, if I see you anywhere nearby, you'll be put to work for the next two weeks, the kind of work that makes slavery look kind."

Her warning was well noted by the newcomers and everyone split.

"Wing, Dive, you'll join us, please," she said. The five of us walked to the den and sat down, Con and I on the loveseat, the adults in the opposing chairs.

"What's this about?" I asked.

"Con," she answered. "I know well that there's only one way for you to have affections for anyone and that it can only _be_ one person."

I frowned.

"What are you talking about?" I asked, baffled.

"Look around his neck, Demona," Dad said gently. "I'm sure you'll be able to see it, though we can't."

I frowned, but did as I was told. Then, underneath the feathers, I saw a strange necklace, a necklace of green light! I frowned and tugged at it, surprised to find it to be solid. I turned it until I found something like a clasp, then undid it. Almost immediately, Con's form shifted to one I knew all too well. I stared at him, stunned.

"Well, that proves what I figured," Mom said. The necklace fell from my hands, landing on the floor.

"What sorcery is this?" I demanded, getting up and backing away from all of them. Wing, luckily, had foreseen my reaction and caught me, sitting me back down, next to the younger version of the Canard I know.

"Demona," Con (Canard's younger self) said. "I had no control over my form. When we came to the future, none of us had our forms and none of us knew about the necklaces!"

I slowly relaxed, seeing only truth in his eyes. Then, something Mom had said slammed into my brain.

"You said I can only feel affection for one person," I stated. "Why?"

The three of them sighed.

"It has to do with your parentage," Mom began, then looked around. "Might want to put that back on him before Canard walks in."

I nodded and obeyed, watching Con's form shift back to the other one.

"Now, your heritage isn't one to be proud of, I'll tell you that right now," Mom began. "Not the immediate family part, anyway. Your mother is Lucretia DeCoy, the traitor to all of Puckworld. She worked side-by-side with your father, the Saurian Lord Draganus."

I paled a great deal.

"Now, this means that you're a direct descendant of Drake DuCaine through your mother," Wing continued for Mom. "And you're Saurian royalty through your father."

"This also makes you-"

"A half-breed," I interrupted sharply, cutting Dad off. "Aren't we forbidden to exist?"

"We're getting there, dear," Mom said. "See, when the team found you, your mother was dying. You would have died too, had they not taken you."

"Canard wasn't with us at that point, he was captured by Draganus," Wing continued. "We took you with us when we went to get him and... you imprinted on Canard."

"Imprinted?" asked Con. I frowned.

"It's something Saurians do," I explained. "It's how they find their soul mate. When they imprint, they know no one else but that one person. The pull of it is so strong that a Saurian will die if it isn't returned."

Con nodded, understanding.

"We knew that was what happened because you used premature Saurian powers to damn-near kill your father, simply because he tried to harm Canard," Dad continued. "You screamed your head off if any of the rest of us tried to hold you. Only Canard could. In time, roughly three months after we returned to Puckworld, you got relaxed enough to let your Mother and I take care of you, seeing as to how Canard couldn't always be there. You've been attached to him since, only slowly growing away as you got older."

I frowned.

"Was it ever... reciprocated?" I asked. All three merely glanced at Con and I knew my answer. "So... my current condition... is merely a factor of that?"

Dad was completely confused.

"Yes," Mom answered. "The pull is just as hard for him to resist as it is for you."

I frowned, but nodded, absorbing this. Then, I shook my head.

"You still haven't explained how a forbidden life form is existing on Puckworld when the law states clearly that we're to be destroyed on sight," I stated. Con froze.

"Well, it's the fact that you imprinted on Canard that saved you, really," Mom said. "See, when they came back, no one would say what you were, but you sent one hell of a jolt through the king at that time because he took you from Canard and threatened to put you in a more decent home. The king was intrigued and demanded the full truth about you. At first, he was all for ending your life, until we mentioned that we believed you imprinted on Canard. The king decided to test our theory. He called up a few contacts on Sauria, the new one that had formed an alliance with us, and had them send over forty shape-shifters for a test. All of them took Canard's form."

"And, naturally," I cut in, understanding. "An imprint would know which one was real and which one wasn't."

"Exactly," Mom agreed. "You were set down in the room on the floor and you crawled right to him, ignoring everyone else. It was almost like they weren't even there."

"The king decided that since Canard was very loyal to Puckworld, you could live," Wing stated. "Who better than your imprint to keep you in line?"

"No one expected him to become king a few years later, but he did," Dad continued. "This turned out to be in your favor even more. Canard undid the rule against half-breeds, calling it unjust. He even went as far as to request a teacher for you when your abilities act up again."

"What do you mean?" Con asked. "Were her abilities locked away?"

Dad nodded.

"Wraith was called back by our king to seal them away until she was old enough to understand her power, old enough to train," Dad answered. I frowned.

"Well, I hate to tell you this, but the seal broke over three years ago," I informed them. Surprise flickered across their faces. "Mostly, I've only used my ability to go back in time to speak to Asaru, the Saurian wife of Drake DuCaine. She's the one that's been training me. As a Goddess among her people, I figured there was no one better."

"And what can you do?" asked Mom, alarmed.

"Time travel, obviously," I answered. "I have mostly time-related abilities. I can freeze time or even people in time. I've blown up an entire planet, one Asaru assured me was uninhabited. I can move things with my mind, teleport from place to place, and astro-project."

Mom shook her head in wonder.

"That's all?" she asked. I nodded.

"Asaru said those were the only abilities I possessed," I answered. "I merely had to be trained in how to control them."

"Do you intend to use them much?" asked Wing. I shook my head.

"Not unless I have to," I replied. "It's a waste of time and energy to use them without good reason. Asaru also mentioned that it wasn't safe to use them a great deal. It wears down my body. If I use them too much, it could cost my life."

They nodded, then I saw Canard coming out of the corner of my eye.

"Don't look now, but Mr. Grumpy's coming," I said, knowing my voice was loud enough for him to hear. His eyes flashed and he stuck his head in the room.

"May I borrow Demona for a moment?" he asked. Mom smiled.

"We're done here," she said, then got up and left. Nervously, I rose and followed Canard out of the room, down the hall and then into my room. I frowned at him, only for my heart to skip a beat as he closed the door behind us. He gestured for me to sit. I did so, choosing the desk as the safest place to do so.

"What's this madness with Con?" he asked, his voice angry... perhaps even... jealous. I felt a small smile tugging at my mouth. His eyes flashed, showing that he'd seen. "What? What is so amusing to you?"

I shook my head, no longer able to hold back the smile.

"I'll show you," I answered, then walked to my door and opened it a crack. Then I called down the hall. "Con! Come here, please!"

It was mere moments before he appeared. Wordlessly, I pulled him into the room and shut the door again. I then searched for the necklace and removed it long enough for his form to shift, then quickly put it back on and shooed him out the door. He rolled his eyes at me and shook his head, walking away. Then, I turned back to Canard.

"Understand?" I asked. He was sitting, frozen in shock, on my bed. With an amused expression, I walked over and waved my hand in front of his face. "Puckworld to Canard! Anyone present in there?"

Then, suddenly, his hand reached out and snagged mine, pulling my body towards him, causing me to tumble to my knees, my hands going to his thighs to keep myself from banging his manhood with my head. My body rested between his legs as I looked up at him. His eyes were overjoyed.

"Then... you _haven't_ left me," he whispered, brushing a hair out of my face, placing it behind me ear. I gave him a small smile.

"Kinda hard to leave you when I was never with you," I replied. He growled and went to pull me to him, but I jerked out of his reach, my sense returning for a moment. I frowned. Now was the perfect time, but I couldn't bring myself to say it, to tell him what he'd done to me.

"What's wrong?" he asked. I began to fidget, only to hear footsteps. I moved out of the doorway just in time as Wing came into the room.

"Go," he told me. I nodded and left to find Con. I was positive that Wing would explain things to Canard. Then, suddenly, a hand slipped over my mouth and pulled me into a room, before turning me around as the person closed and locked the door. I smiled as I looked at Con. In mere seconds, his hot lips landed on mine, his hands lifting me up, pushing me against the door as he wrapped my legs around his waist. He kept one hand on my thigh, supporting it, while the other one reached up and slowly began to unbutton my shirt. I kissed him over and over again, my own hands reaching for him. My shirt soon found itself completely open, my bare upper body at his mercy. His hand cupped my breast. His finger brushed over the hardened nipple, causing me to choke in the kiss, driving me further from sanity with every caress, every kiss. I gripped his shoulders, unable to do anything as he trailed kisses down my neck, down my chest, then over to one of my breasts. My eyes shot open and I gasped as he took it into his mouth. I moaned softly as he licked and teased it, then groaned as he pulled away and blew softly on it, keeping the peak hard. He turned his attention to the other one, teasing me just the same.

"Con?" came one of the stranger's voices. Both of us gave a soft groan.

"What, Will?" Con asked, thankfully keeping the annoyance out of his voice.

"Us guys are going down to the hockey ring, wanna come?" Will asked.

"I'll come by later," Con answered.

"Kay," Will said, leaving. Almost immediately, Con picked up where he'd left off. He kissed up between my breasts, back to my lips, capturing them with his searing heat. Without a word, he pulled me off the door and carried me to the bed, laying me down on it. I just loved how his muscles rippled when he moved. It was so... sexy...

"Demona?" came Wing's voice. We both groaned again, loud enough that I was sure he heard. "Canard's caught up to speed but wants a word with you."

"I'll talk to him later," I said, trying to put it off.

"Now," Wing corrected, telling me that if I didn't go to the door within the next four minutes, he was gonna come in after me. Then, I saw a wicked gleam enter Con's eyes. With a puzzled look on my face, I was no where near prepared when he tore my pants off me, removing his own just as quickly. In mere seconds, he pushed his hardened length into me. My eyes rolled into the back of my head as a moan escaped my lips. With deliberately slow strokes, he began moving inside me, pleasing us both. I heard the door open, but couldn't bring myself to do anything but writhe under Con's experienced body. I heard Wing choke, then heard the door shut really, really fast as he left quickly. I heard Con chuckle, then felt his lips on my breast once more. Moans tore from my throat as he pleased me. Colors I couldn't describe flooded my vision, flashes of light distorting them as the pleasure shot through me. Every stroke brought me closer and closer to the edge of my sanity.

"Oh gods," I managed to ground out, my hands gripping his shoulders so tightly in my pleasure that I was sure I was drawing blood. He moaned and moved faster, his forearms now supporting most of his weight. Then, suddenly, with a cry of unspeakable release, my body exploded, unable to take the rising pressure in me any longer. Con's own cry soon echoed mine and I _felt_ him release his seed in me. I lay under him, trying to catch my breath while coming down from my sudden climax. A tear escaped the corner of my eye.

"God, Canard," I whispered. I heard him chuckle, then my eyes widened as I saw the wicked gleam in his eyes again. I _felt_ him grow hard inside me again.

"I'm not done pleasing you," he whispered sensually in my ear. My entire body gave a shiver of delight and anticipation. I could get used to this.

(Demona's POV)

It was several hours later when Con finally had enough. I couldn't even remember how many different positions he twisted us into, adding more and more pleasure to the sex with each one. I will say this much, the man knew how to please his woman. Not once had we been bothered since Wing had bolted out. I still couldn't believe Con had done that, especially in front of Wing! Still, I can only imagine how Wing was going to be throwing him dirty looks for the rest of the night and how he was sure to blush whenever he looked at me. Wing had never seen me naked, not even as a child. This was sure to scar him for life.

"That was great," Con said finally, having gotten his breath back at last. All I could do was nod in agreement. I heard him laugh softly. "Tired, love?"

I nodded softly, a yawn answering the question for me. He kissed my hair and then gestured to the blanket. Without a word, I moved it to cover us with my powers, then let sleep take us elsewhere. I... was spent.


	3. Chapter 3

(Demona's POV)

I woke in a warm, comfortable embrace. I turned around slowly and gently kissed Con's brow. Slowly, he woke up and stretched. It was so cute. I smiled at him and he smiled at me, leaning up and giving me a soft, sensual kiss. It soon turned hot and I moaned as he traced his hands up my body, turning me on. In short order, he slid his hardened member into me, kissing me as he began to pump, sending pleasure through both of us. Our soft, pleasured moans filled the room until both of us felt our climax hit, taking our breaths away. I smiled softly and caressed his face as he let his hands gently stroke my side.

"Might wanna go talk to Canard now," he said. "We made him wait almost twenty-four hours."

I winced, wondering just how he was going to take that, but got up, nonetheless. Canard was still in his room when I walked by, still asleep. I walked up to the bed, then sat down on the edge of it, relaxing somewhat. Then, I reached over and brushed a few stray feathers out of his face. Slowly, I watched him blink into wakefulness. It was adorable, the look of momentary confusion on his face when he saw me.

"Morning," I said. "You wanted to see me?"

"Yeah," he said, slowly sitting up. His gaze went from me to his lap. "About... raping... you, I'm sorry. That was uncalled for."

"You were drunk, thus your actions were not your own," I told him. He nodded, relaxing a little bit.

"What do you want to do about... our baby?" he asked. I sighed.

"I don't know," I answered. "Con talked me out of abortion."

Canard froze, shocked that I'd even considered it.

"I wanted to try getting away from it all," I admitted. "I saw no other way out, no other way to forget that this all ever happened... Con told me that it wasn't worth it, that I'd only mourn for the baby I _should_ have had. He also pointed out that it wasn't like I'd have to do this on my own. He figured that if people loved me enough to take me in when I wasn't even their problem, they'd be willing to help me raise a child I couldn't bring myself to explain."

My gaze went to the window, looking out over the waking city.

"Now, though, with my secret now out in the open, I'm more concerned about what the council will say and do," I continued. "Mom told me how they only let me live because I'd imprinted on you... What will become of my child? Will they let them live or condemn them to death just as they would have me?"

I shook my head.

"These aren't questions I like having, but I know all too well that this will be the fate of every child born to me," I said. "I'd much rather _never_ experience motherhood than have to wonder just how long my children are going to live."

I felt his hand gently grip my chin and turn my face to look at him. He gave me a soft kiss.

"I undid that law," he told me. "No one will come for our baby."

"But the law wasn't the only thing that's turned against me and our baby," I pointed out. "There are still numerous people that will try to kill them... ones that have even tried to kill me before, you know this. You watched them do it! You stopped them from doing it!"

I shook a little.

"I can't imagine wondering whether they'll even make it to school, if we won't be attacked merely going to the store!" I said. "I can't bear the thought of living in constant fear like that! Talk about a guilded cage!"

Suddenly, he pulled me into his lap, cutting off my words with his own lips, coaxing a kiss from me. My body reacted, responding to him almost immediately. Unlike Con, these kisses weren't hot and sexual. These were soft, loving... tender.

"Demona..." he said softly, his hand caressing my nape. I looked at him. "I will protect you, both of you, to the end of my life if I must."

I gave a small smile.

"I believe you," I said.

(Demona's POV)

All of us gathered in the main room for breakfast. I walked in with Canard, something everyone noticed. Now, though, I knew it was time to clue Dad in on what we were hiding from him. I sat between Canard and Con, gratefully accepting the support they were going to give me.

"Now that we're all here," Mom began. "Demona, I believe it's time."

I nodded, agreeing. Both Con and Canard squeezed my hands softly, wordlessly showing their support. Dad, Tanya, Duke, and Mallory looked at me. The rest of the young ones were filling in the seats. I guessed that it didn't seem important enough for them to know.

"I've been acting a little strangely lately," I said. "I know that, by now, all of you have noticed."

All the adults nodded.

"See... my unusual behavior begins and ends with Canard," I continued. All eyes flew to him, wondering what on earth he'd done wrong. "He got drunk one night and things got way out of hand and-"

"WHAT!" Dad, Duke, Tanya, and Mallory roared. I didn't need to say anything else, but I pressed on. We'd caught the attention of every person in the room. I hung my head.

"I'm pregnant," I said, my voice so soft that only those at the table could hear me. Dad was on his feet in a nano-second.

"BLEEDIN' HELL!" he swore. "CANARD! HOW COULD YOU! SHE'S NINETEEN!"

"You think I don't know that?" came the cold reply. I just kept my gaze lowered.

"Do you have a plan?" asked Duke. I nodded, though I wasn't sure if he saw. Dad and Canard were having a heated yelling match, drowning out nearly everything we were saying. Con was just shaking his head. Mallory was just as pissed as Dad was, having already punched Canard square on the beak. Wing was currently holding her back. Tanya was stunned, but calm.

"Are you going to abort?" asked Tanya. I shook my head.

"I got talked out of it," I said. "I can't do it... kill something that can't control the circumstances of it's birth. That's murder."

Duke merely grasped my hand across the table.

"If you ever need help, I'm right here," he said. I nodded, giving him a small smile.

"Thank you," I said, then turned my attention to the three fighting adults. With a frown, I shot out three bolts of electricity, throwing all three of them into the wall. I winced as it cracked, then shot Mom an apologetic look. She just waved it off with a smile.

"If you don't mind," I spoke up, my voice cold. "What's done is done. There's no point in rubbing salt in an already worn wound."

"But Demona-"

"GROW UP!" I barked, cutting Dad and Mallory off. I took a breath to calm down. "I've made my decision. The least you can do is accept it and let it be. Nothing anyone does will change this... so get over it."

Canard was all too happy to take his seat next to me again. The young ones were looking at me in shock.

"That was a Saurian power," Wyatt said, stunned. I nodded, sitting again.

"I'm a half-blood," I told him. "My mother is Lucretia DeCoy."

I saw their faces show that they'd all ready guessed that much.

"My father is Draganus," I finished. Now, all of them were stunned.

"What?" Damien asked quietly. I shrugged.

"You heard me," I replied.

"Then... why are you alive?" asked Melissa. "All half-bloods are supposed to die at birth!"

"She imprinted on Canard," Con answered for me. "She almost killed her father at the age of one just because he tried to harm him."

"The government believed that since she imprinted on someone so loyal to Puckworld, Canard could keep her in line and keep her loyalty to us," Mom continued.

"Then I became King and destroyed that law completely," Canard finished. "Half-bloods are safe here now."

"What about her father?" pressed Damien.

"She wiped all of his memories and then cast his soul out to who-knows-where," Dad revealed. "It was all at once, mind you, but you don't mess with a Saurian's imprint."

"He's currently in Dimensional Limbo, laying in stasis until they can recover his soul, then his mind," Wing finished. Damien was horrified. I shot a questioning look at Con.

"That's your father," he whispered to me. My eyes widened as I looked at Damien, then back at Con. "I'll explain everything else later."

I nodded and relaxed a little.

"So... what was the yelling match about?" asked Noah. I shrugged.

"Oh... nothing much," I replied. "Canard got drunk, I've been lying to my Dad. He just found out about what. I'm pregnant-"

"PREGNANT!" came the shocked outburst from all of the younger ones. I nodded. All of their eyes went to Canard in disbelief.

"He got drunk and, therefore, is not responsible for his actions," I said, holding up my hand to stave off any objections. "The results, however, are definitely his headache. He made his bed, now he has to sleep in it."

I saw that they all wanted to say more, but respected my wishes enough not to.

"How long?" asked Damien.

"Two months til I show," I replied. He was completely stunned.

"And you're okay with this?" he asked. I nodded.

"I may not have wanted this to happen this soon, but I'm okay with it," I assured him, my voice and my eyes soft. "I'm more scared than anything. If I have so many people disobeying the law just trying to kill me, think of how many more will rise to kill my child?"

I shook my head.

"I don't care what Canard says the law says," I continued. "Nowhere on Puckworld will my kind be safe, nor any child I bear. He can't be there to protect us all the time and he can't protect us from everything."

Canard sighed.

"Almost makes you wish we'd never returned to Puckworld," Dad admitted. "Among numerous other things."

"Or had just returned long enough to snag our wives," Duke agreed. I frowned at them all.

"How long have you all felt this way?" I asked. All eyes slid to me.

"Since we returned with you," Wing answered. "All of us faced the same despairing questions and what-if's that you're facing now. We knew well the consequences of keeping you with us, knowing well that it put our lives in jeopardy just as much as yours, right along with any and all of our children's lives too, but we accepted the responsibility."

I was completely at a loss.

"Why?" I finally managed to say.

"Because no one should lose their life simply because of what they are," Canard answered, brushing a hair out of my face and placing it behind my ear.

(Con/Younger Canard's POV)

Then, suddenly, I felt my own hand go right through Demona's.

"What the-" came Dive's voice as he saw his own limb fading. All of us were. Our future selves looked perplexed, confused. Only Demona understood what was happening.

"Change this future, Canard," she said softly to me. "Save us both."

Her voice was the last thing I heard before I blacked out.

_~A LITTLE BIT LATER~_

I woke up, groaning as a hand went to my aching head. I slowly sat up and looked around. We were all laying on the ground in front of Draganus's ship, the Raptor. I looked at the others, watching them slowly wake. My eyes met Draganus's.

"Can you get us to Dimensional Limbo?" I asked him. He nodded. The others were all watching us. My gaze softened a little. "If we don't save her now, Demona will die soon. Lucretia is a walking corpse now."

Draganus was almost immediately on his feet and dialing the gateway. In mere seconds, it powered up again. This time, all of us leapt into the ship as it took off, taking into the portal. I stood beside Draganus next to the controls as Siege and Wraith flew the Raptor to Limbo. In short order, the barren wasteland I'd finally escaped appeared before us.

"Wildwing, can you see her with the mask?" I asked. Wildwing immediately started scanning the wreckage of several other ships.

"Over there," he answered, pointing at one of the larger ships. As we drew closer, the Raptor landed and we walked to it. Then, the sound of a baby's cries reached our ears. Without a word, Draganus and I bolted forward, only to stop dead in the doorway, looking at the sight before us, horrified.

"My god..." Draganus breathed. Lucretia DeCoy's mangled, starved body lay unmoving on the floor. Demona, looking famished herself, lay nearby, bawling at the top of her lungs. Draganus swiftly recovered and walked over, picking her up. Demona was still crying, she was so hungry. Without a word to the others, Draganus and I turned back for the ship. Their own horrified gazes mirrored our internal feelings. Once back on the ship, Draganus held his daughter, though her eyes had landed on me. I watched them glow red, as did he. He sighed.

"I'd hoped that wouldn't happen," he admitted. I nodded.

"Unwilling allies?" I suggested. He nodded, handing her to me while Chameleon ran up with a bottle of something. Without a word, I fed the young child in my arms. Siege and Wraith guided the ship, opening the gateway and taking us all home. Demona fell asleep in my arms two bottles later.

"What will we do now?" asked Dive, taking her from me. I shook my head.

"I don't know," I answered. "We can't let Draganus take over the earth nor return to Puckworld... but we can't let history repeat itself either."

"So... we're never going home... are we?" asked Dive. I shook my head.

"I won't," I told him. "I can't subject Demona to that fate."

Dive sighed, then clapped his hands together.

"Well, guess that means we'll just have to do what ourselves said they'd have done," he said. All of us looked at him, confused. "We go back long enough to snag our wives and return to this dimension, back to Earth."

I looked at the others. All of them seemed to understand what he was saying.

"Go then," I told them. "We'll wait here for you."

Then I turned to Draganus.

"What will you do now?" I asked. He sighed.

"I will return to my people, to Sauria, once you're all back," he told me. "It would be best if she never knew me."

Wraith them came forward, touching her forehead softly. It glowed a strange symbol, then disappeared.

"That is merely a guide for her abilities when they begin to appear," he assured me. "It will guide her to use her powers enough to take her to the perfect person to train her."

I nodded, taking Demona back from Dive. I looked down into her angelic face.

_Undoing the future by changing the past. That is what we've done. Leaving behind our dreams of home, our only chance to return to the world we know and love, we choose a new life, beginning and ending with my little wife..._

I brushed a feather out of her face softly with a small smile.

"So be it."

THE END


End file.
